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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: foot · patient · field · stem · arm · fan · bear · rule

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rule — a law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. field — a subject
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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