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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: hand · season · craft · bass · racket · stem · patient · bat

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. bass — low music
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a skill
  11. season — of the year
  12. bat — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. season — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. stem — to come from
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the fish

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