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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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Word bank
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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: pitcher · ruler · press · stem · field · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — farmland
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — a stem cell

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