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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: chip · rock · stem · plane · cue · object · season · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. field — a subject
  8. stem — to come from
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — an aim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cue — a signal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — for sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cue — for pool

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