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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: bank · shower · bowl · saw · firm · patient · scale · roll

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. roll — a list
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — the tool
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — a company
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bowl — to roll

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