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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
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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: plane · patient · scale · pitcher · shower · court · last · object

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — to wash
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — finally
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. object — an aim
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — size or range
  16. court — for sport
  17. last — final
  18. court — of law
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — in music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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