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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: field · chair · bore · firm · stem · fan · fine · chip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — to come from
  4. field — a subject
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fine — all right
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chip — to eat
  15. firm — steady
  16. field — farmland
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stem — a stem cell

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