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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · nail · date · dip · chair · perch · bass · track

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — to keep track
  8. date — the fruit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — a song
  23. perch — the fish
  24. dip — to sink

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