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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: patient · mark · bass · stand · date · lean · ruler · bowl

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lean — thin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a football final

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