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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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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: bore · stick · club · perch · roll · land · bay · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — ground
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a cake
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. club — a group
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — a list
  16. club — for golf
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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