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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: patient · craft · row · mouse · snap · scale · cap · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — in music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. craft — boats
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cap — a lid
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a hat
  19. craft — a skill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. row — a line
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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