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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: patient · scale · rash · hand · present · firm · land · can

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. present — the time now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — a gift
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — in music
  14. present — there
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — a series
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — help

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