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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. net — in sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — after costs
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. can — to be able to
  19. field — for sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. spell — letters
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. trunk — of a car

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