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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: dip · bowl · scale · current · march · pitch · patient · tear

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. march — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — completely

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