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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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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: bowl · firm · fork · cell · chair · patient · stem · temple

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cell — a phone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — steady
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. firm — a company
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. firm — decided
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — to come from
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — a stem cell

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