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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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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: row · cue · bat · stem · field · perch · stand · lie

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. field — farmland
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — for sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cue — for pool

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