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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 120 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: cap · pitcher · stem · patient · mate · race · nail · rock

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mate — to breed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — a jug

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