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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: patient · track · roll · racket · scale · bowl · bass · wind

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bass — low music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. roll — a list
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a path
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. roll — a cake
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — moving air
  19. scale — in music
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bass — the fish
  23. track — a song
  24. racket — for tennis

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