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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: cap · perch · temple · patient · wake · court · bear · kick

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — in football
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cap — a lid
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. temple — a place of worship

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