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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: foot · patient · tear · court · pass · rule · perch · drill

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — a permit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — a law
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — government
  19. court — for sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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