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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. net — in sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. march — the month
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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