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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 116 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: net · degree · patient · leaves · rock · firm · stem · season

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stem — to come from
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — in sport
  13. degree — from a university
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. firm — steady
  20. season — in sport
  21. degree — an amount
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. firm — decided
  24. degree — temperature

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