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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: press · firm · field · land · stem · bowl · wax · object

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. object — a thing
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. land — a country
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — to push
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — to protest
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — farmland
  21. land — to come down
  22. object — an aim
  23. wax — to grow
  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