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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: trunk · scale · perch · patient · bay · track · race · mark

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. race — humankind
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — a song
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a path
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mark — a trace
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. track — to keep track
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. scale — in music
  23. trunk — of a car
  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