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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.

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: roll · can · chair · prune · patient · cap · perch · firm

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cap — a lid
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — a list
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — steady
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. roll — a cake
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — decided
  22. perch — the fish
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. perch — for a bird

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