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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: fan · wave · cabinet · field · chair · stem · pop · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — farmland
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. field — for sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — a subject
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pop — soda
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — to fit

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