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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: bowl · tube · ruler · fine · foot · patient · stem · mate

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. fine — all right
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  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