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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. band — a ring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a music group
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cell — in biology
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. racket — for tennis

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