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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: suit · land · bat · spring · toast · patient · bound · scale

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — to come down
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bound — certain
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. land — a country
  14. spring — the season
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bound — tied together
  22. toast — bread
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — ground

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