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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — in music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — a price
  8. cap — a hat
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — goods
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. charge — in control
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — of ice
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stock — shares
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com