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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · patient · degree · pop · nail · perch · pit · calf

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — soda
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. degree — from a university
  11. last — final
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — music
  14. last — finally
  15. pop — to visit
  16. perch — the fish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. perch — for a bird

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