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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: safe · mine · board · spell · degree · track · stem · suit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stem — to come from
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a path
  7. suit — in cards
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. degree — temperature
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. track — to keep track

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