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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: scale · game · press · net · patient · fan · fine · row

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — size or range
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. press — a publisher
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. press — to push
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. row — a line
  20. press — newspapers
  21. net — for catching
  22. game — wild animals
  23. row — to paddle
  24. fan — a supporter

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