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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: court · chest · foot · patient · bulb · mark · stem · bear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — of a king
  6. chest — of your body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — of law
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — a box
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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