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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 120 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: dip · kid · bound · pit · ball · scale · patient · club

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — in a race
  5. scale — in music
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — for dancing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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