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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: fine · deal · wake · file · field · stem · saw · race

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — to handle
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. race — humankind
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fine — all right
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a line of people
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — high quality

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