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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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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: pit · net · object · chair · bark · stem · patient · bore

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to drill
  10. net — for catching
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bark — to shout
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. object — a thing
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — a hole
  23. object — an aim
  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