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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
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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: rash · stick · field · pit · stem · cue · current · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. field — a subject
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pit — a hole
  23. current — of water
  24. field — for sport

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