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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 · pit · roll · cap · row · bay · patient · object

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cap — a hat
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. object — to protest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — in music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a list
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — a lid
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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