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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — tied together
  4. game — wild animals
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bound — certain
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. stem — to come from
  20. game — a match
  21. field — a subject
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. field — farmland

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