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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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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: last · stem · date · bowl · straw · club · cabinet · field

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. last — final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — for golf
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. club — for dancing
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. club — a group
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bowl — a dish
  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