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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 · fine · game · pit · club · bay · cue · field

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — a group
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fine — all right
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cue — a signal
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — for dancing
  20. game — a match
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — for sport
  24. pit — in a race

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