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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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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 · kick · deal · stem · track · patient · net · cell

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. track — to keep track
  4. stem — to come from
  5. track — a path
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kick — with a leg

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