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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: chair · stem · ball · patient · suit · bear · sharp · craft

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — boats
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. craft — a skill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a dance

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