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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 116 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: file · scale · chair · patient · bore · pitcher · mouse · ball

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a document
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to tire
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mouse — 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