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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: ball · nail · bass · cell · scale · patient · can · sharp

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cell — a phone
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cell — in biology
  14. scale — size or range
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — for weighing

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