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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 116 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: coach · stem · row · content · racket · dip · last · patient

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to sink
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — the amount
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. content — happy
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — to come from

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