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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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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: wind · stick · pitcher · patient · object · perch · bore · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — to tire

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