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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: mark · stem · rock · bay · track · tear · ball · chest

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a great time
  10. tear — from crying
  11. track — a path
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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