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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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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: straw · stand · chair · stem · fine · date · patient · club

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. date — the fruit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. club — for golf
  13. fine — all right
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — for dancing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — to bear
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. club — a group

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