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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.

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: perch · march · calf · ground · mug · net · bay · patient

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. perch — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ground — crushed
  20. march — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ground — the earth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mug — a cup

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