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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: present · lean · key · track · bat · date · roll · stem

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. key — in music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bat — the animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to bend
  14. present — a gift
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — thin
  17. roll — a list
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. date — the fruit
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — there
  24. lean — to rest against

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