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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: pit · racket · perch · cabinet · spell · bowl · file · patient

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a document
  3. spell — letters
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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