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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.

Words on the sheet
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: fan · stem · toast · patient · fall · chip · pitcher · degree

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. chip — to eat
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chip — in a computer

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