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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: track · craft · pit · spring · stem · wind · hide · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spring — of water
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ground — the earth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — a path
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pit — a hole
  23. track — to keep track
  24. spring — the season

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