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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: bay · cue · field · rush · spell · club · lean · stem

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — a group
  4. field — farmland
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. lean — thin
  8. field — a subject
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cue — a signal

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