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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: stem · field · cue · bore · mate · bat · cabinet · charge

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. mate — to breed
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — in control
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mate — a partner
  15. field — for sport
  16. charge — a price
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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