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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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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: lean · patient · chair · club · root · stem · deal · row

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. club — for dancing
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — a line
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — for golf
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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