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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lean — thin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. board — a committee
  14. pitch — completely
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — to get on
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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