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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 120 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
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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: mine · patient · firm · mouse · perch · pop · board · scale

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — for digging
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. firm — a company
  24. mine — an explosive

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