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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: field · cabinet · rash · stem · staff · ball · foot · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. field — a subject
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. field — for sport
  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