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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: firm · wave · stem · fine · fan · field · patient · bass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stem — to come from
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. firm — decided
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. firm — steady
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — all right
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — a subject

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