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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: row · patient · capital · kick · chair · stem

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — to paddle
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money

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