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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: hide · net · patient · track · mouse · chair · scale · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — in music
  7. track — a path
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chair — a leader
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a song
  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