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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: court · foot · pitcher · patient · bear · arm · fall · perch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fall — the season
  4. court — of law
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. foot — a measure
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — to drop

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