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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chair — a leader
  3. track — a path
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pop — soda
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pop — to visit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. field — for sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. pop — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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