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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: scale · ground · game · wave · mug · cap · patient · ball

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — a position
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — the earth
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. ground — crushed
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mug — to rob
  20. scale — size or range
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wave — of the sea

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