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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: stem · club · rush · rock · field · rash · plane · key

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rash — a series
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. field — farmland
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. plane — in geometry

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