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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.

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: foot · degree · patient · season · fan · perch · rock · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. degree — temperature
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — to cool the air

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