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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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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: stem · band · stick · pass · patient · game · bay · cell

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a ring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. game — a kind of play

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