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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: patient · cap · wake · stem · racket · degree · tube · mug

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — from a university
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mug — a face
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. degree — temperature
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wake — a trail
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. racket — for tennis

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