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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: bank · fine · prune · bowl · tear · bat · scale · patient

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. tear — to rip
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — in music
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tear — from crying
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. patient — a sick person
  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