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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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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 · leaves · patient · wind · chip · coach · ground · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pit — a hole
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. patient — a sick person

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