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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
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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: scale · patient · rock · cabinet · rule · present

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rule — government
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — in music
  6. present — a gift
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — the time now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — there
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. rock — music
  18. rule — a law

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