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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 120 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: net · deal · track · stem · arm · patient · lean · ball

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. track — to keep track
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. net — in sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — after costs
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a great time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. track — a path
  24. deal — an agreement

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