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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
468
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: pop · land · straw · drill · board · patient · row · perch

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. row — to paddle
  10. land — to come down
  11. row — a line
  12. land — ground
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pop — soda
  17. board — to get on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — a country
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — a committee

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