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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · field · chip · stem · cue · lash · band · toast

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — a subject
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a music group
  13. toast — bread
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cue — a hint

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