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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: wake · degree · stem · saw · stick · fan · rock · field

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. field — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — a subject
  13. saw — the tool
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — farmland
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — of a plant

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