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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: stem · chip · patient · foot · cap · bear · pound · rule

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — to eat
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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