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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: file · lean · bore · field · stem · pass · staff · court

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. court — of law
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — for sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. field — for sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — thin
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — of a king
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a document
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to bend

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