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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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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: spring · pound · field · patient · wind · scale · key · stick

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — farmland
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. field — a subject
  11. wind — moving air
  12. spring — the season
  13. field — for sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spring — a coil
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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