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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 120 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: mine · fine · chest · calf · stem · field · club · ruler

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — for golf
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport
  19. chest — a box
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ruler — a monarch

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