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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: safe · bass · field · toast · land · pit · present · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. field — a subject
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — ground
  7. toast — bread
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. field — for sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — a country
  13. present — there
  14. field — farmland
  15. pit — in a race
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. present — the time now
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — to come down
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. pit — a hole

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