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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.

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: stand · perch · temple · shower · patient · pitcher · foot · capital

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. capital — a city
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — for a bird

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