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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: perch · fine · march · patient · mine · cue

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — music
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cue — for pool
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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