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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
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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: clip · rest · firm · march · bass · patient · club · scale

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. club — for dancing
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rest — a break
  9. club — a group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. club — for golf
  12. clip — a video
  13. bass — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. march — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bass — low music
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. patient — a sick person

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