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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
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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: mine · pitcher · patient · cue · stem · pop · leaves · sharp

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pop — to visit
  8. sharp — clever
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pop — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cue — a signal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — for digging

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