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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: scale · date · patient · jam · bowl · rock · net · drill

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. drill — army training
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rock — a stone
  20. drill — a practice
  21. scale — in music
  22. net — in sport
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rock — music

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