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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: foot · stem · leaves · ball · bat · patient · bowl · hand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bat — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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