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

Word bank: fall · scale · board · patient · race · chair · key · trunk

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — the most important part
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — the season
  12. race — the arms race
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chair — a leader
  18. key — for a lock
  19. scale — in music
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. race — humankind

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