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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: track · stem · pit · calf · perch · patient · hide · pound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a song
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pit — in a race
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a hole
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stem — of a plant

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