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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 116 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: pitch · root · mug · coach · patient · capital · mate · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — a friend
  8. capital — a city
  9. mate — a partner
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. capital — money
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. root — of a word
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pitch — completely

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