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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · mine · chair · patient · stem · bore · pitcher · plane

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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