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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · pitcher · perch · patient · current · wave · vault · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. race — humankind
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. vault — a safe
  12. current — of water
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. current — happening now
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. current — electric
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. perch — the fish

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