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

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — a stone
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — money
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rock — music
  11. capital — a city
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — a division
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a path
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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