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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — in music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a friend
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. scale — size or range
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. band — a music group
  16. roll — a cake
  17. snap — to click
  18. roll — a list
  19. fine — all right
  20. band — a ring
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — of a king
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fine — high quality

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