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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cue — a hint
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cue — for pool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stem — to come from
  20. spring — the season
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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