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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 · perch · track · snap · date · chip · safe · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. track — a path
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — to eat
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stem — to come from
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. track — a song

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