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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.

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 · patient · root · band · pitch · bark · jam · rock

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. scale — in music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — of a word
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. root — the cause

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