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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: perch · chair · ground · rule · sharp · cap · patient · mark

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. mark — a grade
  3. ground — a position
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ground — the earth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — a trace
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cap — a lid
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chair — a professorship

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