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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: spell · trunk · root · track · pitcher · field · lie · stem

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. field — a subject
  13. spell — letters
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a word
  18. stem — to come from
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pitcher — a jug

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