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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 124 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — for sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. suit — in cards
  10. drill — a practice
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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