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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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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. track — a path
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — farmland
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chip — to eat

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