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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: pop · stem · court · sharp · deal · field · chair · temple

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pop — music
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. field — a subject
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pop — soda
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. field — farmland
  15. court — of a king
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — exactly

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