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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: game · stand · key · sharp · file · stem · field · rule

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. key — in music
  6. field — a subject
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — the most important part
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. file — a line of people
  13. game — a match
  14. field — farmland
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. field — for sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. file — a tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — to bear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — government
  24. stem — a stem cell

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