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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 120 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: mine · key · stem · mark · patient · fine · prune · cue

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fine — all right
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — to come from
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — a penalty

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