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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: track · season · march · kick · leaves · file · pit · stem

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. file — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — to come from
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. track — a path
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — of the year
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a hole
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. march — the month

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