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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: patient · pass · cell · lean · pitcher · tube · perch · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. lean — thin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — a container
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pass — to spend time

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