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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: ball · calf · scale · rash · mark · wind · patient · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ball — a dance
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. staff — employees
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wind — moving air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — a stick
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — in music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rash — hasty
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rash — a series
  24. calf — a young animal

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