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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: ball · stand · row · nail · patient · squash · perch · pitcher

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. row — a line
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — the fish
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — to bear

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