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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · saw · patient · cue · perch · racket · pit · can

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cue — for pool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cue — a hint

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