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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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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: pitcher · mouse · file · perch · bark · patient · scale · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. file — a document
  9. scale — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — the fish
  12. scale — size or range
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. jam — a tight spot

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