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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: patient · row · suit · march · perch · fan · tube · net

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — the fish
  5. net — in sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. row — a line
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — a container
  19. suit — in cards
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. net — after costs
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — music

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