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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: pit · lie · cabinet · pitcher · stem · patient · field · land

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — a country
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cabinet — ministers

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