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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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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. shower — rain
  5. field — for sport
  6. scale — size or range
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. suit — in cards
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — a subject
  14. track — to keep track
  15. cap — a hat
  16. field — farmland
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — of ice
  23. track — a song
  24. trunk — of a car

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