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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: band · date · mark · chest · patient · scale · bear · ball

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chest — a box
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a trace
  12. date — the fruit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a ring
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bear — 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