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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 · mark · sharp · bay · field · ruler · straw · net

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. field — farmland
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. net — after costs
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — for catching
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. field — a subject
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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