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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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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 · pass · stand · perch · game · rash · stem · cell

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — a series
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — a permit
  19. game — wild animals
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. game — a match

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