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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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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 · field · bank · racket · snap · last · mark · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. field — a subject
  5. snap — to click
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. bank — of a river
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — in a road
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. last — final
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — to come from
  24. last — finally

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