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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 120 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.

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: lie · patient · game · perch · cold · pitch · coach · bulb

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bulb — for light

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