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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: stick · safe · suit · rock · prune · patient · file · scale

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. scale — size or range
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — in music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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