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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: cue · mark · board · field · mine · lean · stem · chip

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — for sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — farmland
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — a committee
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — of a plant

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