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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. content — the amount
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — a group
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. content — happy
  16. mark — a grade
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — in a road
  24. club — for golf

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