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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: club · scale · pass · ball · perch · band · foot · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. club — for golf
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. club — a group
  24. ball — a round shape

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