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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: bank · chip · cap · stem · hide · suit · field · drill

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cap — a hat
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. suit — to fit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. field — a subject
  18. bank — for money
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — clothes

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