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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: rule · date · last · squash · stem · field · ball · snap

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. ball — a dance
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — to come from
  11. field — a subject
  12. date — the fruit
  13. field — farmland
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. last — finally
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. last — final
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rule — government
  24. squash — the vegetable

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