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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 · ground · fork · deal · current · track · date · tear

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a path
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. track — a song
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. current — electric
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tear — from crying
  21. current — of water
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tear — to rip

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