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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 120 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
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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: file · bound · fork · pop · chair · bear · track · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. file — a document
  8. track — a song
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — a path
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pop — music

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