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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: leaves · face · pound · jam · patient · scale · mark · bulb

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mark — a grade
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — to confront
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bulb — of a plant

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