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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 116 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 · suit · row · saw · bulb · game · staff · patient

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. game — wild animals
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. game — a match
  8. suit — clothes
  9. staff — a stick
  10. suit — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — to paddle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. staff — employees

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