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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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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: mate · pop · nail · fork · swing · cap · stem · patient

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cap — a lid
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pop — to visit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pop — music

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