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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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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 · staff · bore · patient · face · ball · suit · pitcher

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — to confront
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. suit — in cards
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to tire

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