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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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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: field · key · stem · pound · safe · press

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — for a lock
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. press — to push
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stem — to come from
  10. key — in music
  11. field — for sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — newspapers
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject

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