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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. content — happy
  23. scale — size or range
  24. deal — a big deal

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