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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: clip · mouse · patient · mark · bowl · pass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. clip — a video
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mouse — the animal

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