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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 · sharp · press · mate · bass · scale · chip · rash

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — size or range
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — low music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — a friend
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. scale — in music
  18. chip — to eat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. press — to push
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — a series
  24. bass — the instrument

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