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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: chair · ball · stock · cap · bulb · stem · ground · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stock — goods
  5. cap — a hat
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — shares
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. ground — crushed
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ground — a position
  23. cap — of ice
  24. ball — a great time

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