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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a grade
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rule — a law
  11. drill — army training
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. drill — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rule — government
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rash — hasty
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mark — to pay attention

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