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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: calf · game · bass · perch · stand · cap · patient · pit

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bass — low music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. game — a match
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — the fish

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