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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 116 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: mark · chip · trunk · stand · sharp · stem · court · track

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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. stand — for spectators
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. court — for sport
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — for betting
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mark — a trace
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — of law
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. court — of a king

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