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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: patient · scale · bass · ground · snap · coach · perch · ball

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — the fish
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bass — the fish
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to click
  22. ground — crushed
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ball — a dance

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