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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: tube · bass · stem · rock · file · can · field · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rock — music
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — low music
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tube — a container
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. can — to be able to
  22. file — a tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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