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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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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: cell · patient · saw · stick · safe · scale · pound · root

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. scale — in music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. root — the cause
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — a phone
  10. saw — the tool
  11. root — of a word
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — size or range
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cell — in biology
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. root — of a plant

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