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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 116 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: pitch · object · perch · can · patient · bat · wake · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. object — a thing
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — the fish
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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