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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · patient · stem · club · rest · coach

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for dancing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — a stick

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