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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · stem · game · pit · track · calf · nail · cap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a song
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pit — a hole
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. track — to keep track
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cap — a lid
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — wild animals

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