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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: rule · shower · ground · wound · fork · scale · craft · patient

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. scale — size or range
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ground — a position
  7. craft — a skill
  8. shower — rain
  9. rule — a law
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rule — government
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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