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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · tube · bay · patient · field · mug · scale · row

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tube — a container
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mug — a cup
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. row — a line
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mug — a face
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. field — a subject
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — farmland

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