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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: deal · mouse · field · stem · pass · roll · swing · last

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stem — to come from
  3. field — for sport
  4. swing — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. roll — a list
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. last — finally
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — farmland
  15. swing — in golf
  16. roll — a cake
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. last — final
  24. pass — to spend time

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