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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — in a road
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bass — low music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pop — soda
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a hat

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