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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. craft — boats
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stem — to come from
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. band — a ring
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pound — for dogs

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