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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.

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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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