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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: chair · mark · key · land · patient · bass · stem · rock

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. land — ground
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — in music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. land — a country
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. land — to come down
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — low music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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