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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: craft · foot · date · mate · kick · scale · patient · fan

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — a measure
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  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