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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: march · track · lean · pit · patient · craft · kick · scale

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. craft — boats
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. march — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — to bend
  19. march — the month
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. track — a path
  23. pit — a hole
  24. craft — a handicraft

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