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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · stick · bear · date · capital · stem · band · spring

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. band — a ring
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. spring — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — the season
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — a coil
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — to put up with

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