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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: field · kid · cue · charge · stem · swing · rock · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. stem — to come from
  10. field — farmland
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. field — for sport
  19. kid — to tease
  20. swing — to play on
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  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