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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 120 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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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: pop · cue · field · stem · racket · chair · stand · kid

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. field — for sport
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — soda
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a leader
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — to come from
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a signal
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — child

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