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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: nail · perch · land · jam · patient · cue · lie · net

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. land — ground
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — after costs
  9. land — a country
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. perch — the fish
  15. land — to come down
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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