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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
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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: scale · spell · march · date · fork · mug · stock · patient

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. date — the fruit
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mug — a face
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — a short time

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