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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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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: last · patient · fork · fan · ball · track · stem · season

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. track — a song
  5. last — to go on
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. season — in sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. last — finally
  18. track — a path
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. last — final
  23. track — to keep track
  24. season — of the year

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