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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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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: snap · bay · field · stem · pitch · kid · cabinet · wave

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. field — for sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — a subject
  24. snap — to click

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