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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: rest · jam · current · leaves · patient · pitch · clip · perch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. current — of water
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. current — electric
  20. rest — a break
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. perch — the fish
  24. clip — a video

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