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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: patient · net · lie · pitch · swing · bowl · perch · wake

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. net — in sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — for catching
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. net — after costs
  17. wake — a trail
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. swing — in golf
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. perch — for a bird

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