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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
468
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 · prune · chip · field · band · leaves · patient · arm

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — to eat
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. field — for sport
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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