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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 · last · rock · pound · fan · scale · pass · current

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — final
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — a permit
  9. last — finally
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — a weight
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. current — electric
  21. last — to go on
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

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