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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a document
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chest — of your body
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — a committee
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. present — a gift
  21. board — to get on
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stem — to come from

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