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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: hand · season · patient · pass · scale · bowl · pop · safe

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — help
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pop — soda
  11. scale — in music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. pop — music
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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