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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 · track · season · bowl · march · scale · lie · branch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — in sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lie — to recline
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. track — a song
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. march — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. track — to keep track
  21. branch — a division
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — a path

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