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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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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: stem · ground · firm · patient · rock · pit · fine · pitcher

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a hole
  11. firm — a company
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. fine — all right
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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