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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: shower · nail · patient · mark · jam · pitcher · perch · temple

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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