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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: spring · patient · bay · pit · mate · suit · perch · degree

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pit — in a race
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spring — of water
  13. degree — temperature
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — to breed
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pit — a hole

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