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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: scale · patient · hide · fork · wake · trunk · pit · jam

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pit — a hole
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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