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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · cap · pass · spring · chip · nail · field · stem

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pass — a permit
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cap — of ice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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