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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · stick · wound · scale · press · patient · march · perch

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. march — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — in music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — to push
  24. march — the month

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