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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: deal · calf · nail · toast · stem · field · chip · cabinet

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — to handle
  8. field — farmland
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — to eat
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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