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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 · branch · kick · coach · current · file · mouse

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a document
  7. current — electric
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — in music
  14. file — a tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. file — a line of people
  17. current — of water
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. current — happening now
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — for weighing

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