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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a path
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — to keep track
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a song
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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