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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: pass · patient · tube · chip · hide · file · scale · roll

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. roll — a list
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. file — a tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. roll — a cake

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