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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: perch · tube · patient · scale · mate · calf · chair · stick

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. scale — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. scale — size or range
  8. mate — to breed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mate — a friend
  22. tube — a container
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. calf — a young animal

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