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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.

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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: jam · patient · band · stem · perch · racket · file · cabinet

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a document
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. stem — to come from
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. racket — for tennis

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