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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · perch · patient · calf · wind · pitcher · press · root

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — size or range
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a word
  14. wind — moving air
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. root — the cause
  24. calf — a young animal

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