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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: racket · stand · court · lash · stem · patient · field · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — to come from
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. court — for sport
  18. field — for sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — a subject
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. march — the month

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