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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: file · bound · patient · date · staff · saw · pass · scale

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. file — a line of people
  10. staff — a stick
  11. scale — in music
  12. pass — a permit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bound — certain
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pass — to succeed

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