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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: firm · fall · perch · racket · content · patient · present · craft

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. craft — boats
  10. present — there
  11. fall — the season
  12. present — a gift
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — the amount
  15. craft — a skill
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — for tennis
  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