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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 116 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: mouse · patient · file · pit · mine · prune · scale · stand

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. scale — in music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — to bear
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — size or range
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. file — a document
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. file — a tool

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