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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: nail · pitcher · pass · ball · patient · bass · staff · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — low music
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pass — a permit

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