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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · stem · bat · charge · fine · patient · fork · shower

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bat — the animal
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. charge — electricity
  23. shower — rain
  24. fork — to eat with

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