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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. last — finally
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — for pool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bank — for money
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — final
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — letters
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — a position

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