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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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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 · racket · stand · rule · clip · march · scale · wind

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — government
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — to cut
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — a law
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — in music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — for paper

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