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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 116 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 · chair · rest · snap · cabinet · bass · pitch · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — the fish
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — a break
  13. snap — to click
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — low music
  24. rest — what's left

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