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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: game · mark · pit · scale · swing · trunk · patient · arm

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a grade
  7. scale — in music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — to play on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. swing — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. trunk — of a tree

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