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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: fork · present · mouse · patient · hand · perch · scale · bass

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — there
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

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