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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: bass · patient · perch · firm · track · spring · pit · calf

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a hole
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — decided
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — in a race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — a sick person

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