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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: game · bound · nail · saw · bass · scale · stand · patient

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bound — certain
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the fish
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — size or range
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — low music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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