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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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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: mate · field · lean · bat · pass · roll · stem · nail

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a list
  4. bat — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — for sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — a subject
  13. stem — to come from
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — thin
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. roll — a cake
  24. field — farmland

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