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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fine · perch · bat · ball · march · suit · straw · patient

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a dance
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fine — high quality
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — a straw man

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