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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: field · file · cabinet · pit · cue · drill · bank · stem

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. drill — the tool
  6. field — farmland
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cue — a signal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — army training
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a document
  19. field — for sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — a subject
  22. bank — for money
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pit — in a race

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