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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 116 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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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: wake · bass · wound · stem · patient · pitch · tube · fan

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — low music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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