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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: deal · toast · mug · scale · date · content · spring · patient

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — in music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. content — happy
  10. mug — a face
  11. spring — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — to rob
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. spring — of water
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mug — a cup
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spring — a coil
  24. date — the fruit

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