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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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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 · bulb · straw · cap · bark · perch · patient · pitch

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bulb — for light
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bark — of a tree
  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