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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: stem · fork · safe · cap · squash · patient · ground · tube

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ground — crushed
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — a hat
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — a lid
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. squash — the sport

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