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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: content · fine · roll · mate · face · key · scale · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. face — part of the head
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. scale — size or range
  10. content — happy
  11. fine — high quality
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — for a lock
  21. face — to confront
  22. key — in music
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — to breed

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