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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: stem · chest · court · track · temple · suit · land · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — for sport
  4. land — ground
  5. chest — a box
  6. land — to come down
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of law
  14. suit — to fit
  15. track — a song
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. stem — to come from
  19. court — of a king
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  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