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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: patient · bowl · swing · net · season · wound · stem · firm

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. season — in sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — after costs
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — steady
  24. swing — to play on

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