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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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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: stem · field · kick · mug · cue · snap · bore · cap

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cap — a hat
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kick — in football
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. snap — to click
  23. mug — a face
  24. cap — a lid

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