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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: fine · wound · scale · bowl · straw · patient · rock · mate

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. rock — music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fine — all right
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — a penalty

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