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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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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: cell · ruler · club · net · patient · stem · pitcher · mate

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. stem — to come from
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in biology
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. club — for dancing
  7. net — in sport
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. club — a group
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. club — for golf
  24. cell — in a prison

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