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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: stem · bat · field · arm · staff · rest · bore · key

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. staff — employees
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. staff — employees
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bore — to drill
  22. key — in music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — for sport

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