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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: prune · bound · stem · track · ground · wound · ball · scale

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. scale — in music
  8. track — a song
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ground — a position
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — tied together
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stem — to come from

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