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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: court · date · bear · tube · stem · patient · stand · bulb

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. date — the fruit
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. court — for sport
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — to come from
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. stand — on your feet

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