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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: foot · content · staff · pitcher · kick · jam · patient · perch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. staff — a stick
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. content — happy
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. staff — employees
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. perch — the fish
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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