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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: season · pitch · nail · stem · vault · bore · patient · bulb

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — of the year
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — in sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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