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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: stem · clip · nail · mark · season · track · can · swing

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. swing — to play on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — a video
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. season — in sport
  14. stem — to come from
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. swing — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. clip — to cut
  20. track — a path
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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