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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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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: rock · lie · branch · pitch · scale · patient · bulb · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — music
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — for light

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