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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: mug · field · rush · stem · bat · land · fan · fork

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. land — a country
  14. field — for sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. field — a subject
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

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