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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: scale · patient · date · saw · pass · chip · kick · band

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kick — in football
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a ring
  5. scale — size or range
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pass — a permit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. band — a music group
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. date — the fruit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. chip — to eat

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