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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: scale · track · mark · fork · patient · mine · hide · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — a path
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — in music
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. saw — the tool

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