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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 120 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
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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: perch · chest · current · club · court · patient · deal · pitcher

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chest — of your body
  5. deal — to handle
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — happening now
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. club — for dancing
  12. current — of water
  13. court — for sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chest — of your body
  21. current — electric
  22. court — of law
  23. club — for golf
  24. deal — an agreement

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