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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: game · leaves · track · sharp · key · patient · stem · trunk

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. game — a match
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. track — a song
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — the most important part
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — for a lock
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. key — in music
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. track — a path

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