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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
468
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: last · nail · bear · ruler · ball · patient · scale · mine

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — final
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — finally
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — the animal

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