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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: stem · rush · suit · fan · fine · jam · field · squash

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. field — a subject
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — farmland
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. suit — in cards
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — to come from
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — to fit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — for sport
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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