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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.

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: mate · foot · patient · date · land · pop · perch · stem

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — a country
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — to come down
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. land — ground
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mate — to breed
  24. foot — a measure

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