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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
468
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: cell · scale · stock · fork · mug · stem · nail · field

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mug — a cup
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — in music
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. field — for sport
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cell — a phone

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