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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: pitcher · ball · scale · mate · roll · patient · cap · sharp

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — of ice
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. roll — a list
  20. mate — a partner
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cap — a hat
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. roll — on a roll

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