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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 120 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: mark · kid · bay · present · scale · patient · can · tube

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — to tease
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. present — a gift
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. present — there
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. mark — a trace
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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