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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: rock · foot · chip · stem · wake · cue · object · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — an aim
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. chip — to eat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cue — for pool
  18. object — a thing
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chip — for betting
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — to protest

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