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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 116 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: fine · deal · cell · stem · key · field · pop · file

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. deal — to handle
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fine — all right
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cell — a phone
  7. file — a tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. field — farmland
  10. pop — to visit
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — in music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a document
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stem — to come from

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