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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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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — a group
  5. bat — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — farmland
  23. club — for golf
  24. stand — for spectators

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