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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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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: club · row · game · last · can · rush · patient · perch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. row — a line
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. club — a group
  12. can — a tin
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — to go on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. last — finally
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — final
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. club — for dancing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — wild animals

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