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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: patient · rule · stem · fan · march · racket · cold · safe

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — government
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — an illness
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — a law
  24. cold — not warm

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