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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — to come from
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. degree — temperature
  24. nail — for a hammer

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