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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 116 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: hide · stem · coach · chip · season · fork · field · rush

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. field — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. fork — in a road
  6. field — a subject
  7. season — of the year
  8. chip — for betting
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — to come from

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