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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 · bass · bay · shower · stem · court · mark · safe

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bass — low music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. court — of law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. shower — rain
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — a song
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — a trace

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