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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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — boats
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — employees
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. field — farmland
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — a break
  23. field — a subject
  24. stand — for spectators

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