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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: rule · sharp · mark · foot · bowl · stem · board · track

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stem — to come from
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — government
  5. mark — a trace
  6. track — a path
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — a song
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mark — a grade
  21. foot — a measure
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stem — a stem cell

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