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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: stick · wind · spring · saw · court · scale · net · patient

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — in music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. court — of law
  8. net — in sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. saw — the tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — after costs
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — of a king
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — for sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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