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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: land · pop · stem · patient · temple · track · rock · hand

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — music
  5. land — a country
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hand — help
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. land — to come down

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