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

Word bank: perch · race · patient · deal · pitch · chip

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — the fish

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