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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
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: pitcher · bulb · march · perch · patient · sharp · wound · ruler

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — music
  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