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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 · temple · perch · fine · ground · fork · patient · mate

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. cap — a lid
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fine — all right
  18. perch — the fish
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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