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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: foot · stick · pitcher · squash · patient · rush · perch · current

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. current — happening now
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — to crush
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rush — hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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