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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 · foot · wax · patient · pit · bay · pitcher · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wax — to grow
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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