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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · patient · rule · current · squash · saw · straw · racket

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — a law
  5. saw — the tool
  6. current — electric
  7. rule — government
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — size or range
  13. saw — the tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. current — happening now
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — in music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. squash — to crush
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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