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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 120 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 · pit · march · saw · cue · cabinet · chair · fork

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. march — the month
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. march — music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. saw — the tool
  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