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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: deal · wake · stem · jam · cabinet · spell · race · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — the arms race
  5. spell — magic
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. race — a contest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spell — letters

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