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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: pound · patient · bat · stem · cap · current · mate · leaves

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — happening now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — a lid
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. current — electric

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