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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: stem · racket · file · patient · saw · squash · pit · land

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — a country
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — to crush
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pit — in a race
  12. file — a line of people
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a document
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. land — ground
  20. file — a tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — the sport
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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