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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: patient · scale · firm · stem · field · saw · kid · prune

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — in music
  9. firm — steady
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — for sport
  14. kid — to tease
  15. field — farmland
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. saw — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — a company
  21. scale — size or range
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kid — child

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