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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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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 · hide · track · land · net · mug · rest · patient

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a face
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — size or range
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. scale — in music
  9. land — to come down
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. track — a path
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — ground
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — a break
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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