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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 · bore · wind · pitcher · racket · stem · current · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cap — of ice
  13. current — of water
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bore — to drill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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