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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a list
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fall — to drop
  5. net — for catching
  6. roll — a cake
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — after costs
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. net — in sport
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — a trace
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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