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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: track · patient · wake · fan · mine · bass · scale · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — for digging
  5. scale — size or range
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — low music
  18. scale — in music
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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