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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: chair · track · wave · mug · branch · file · scale · patient

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a document
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. scale — size or range
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — a path
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. file — a tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. file — a line of people

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