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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: pass · craft · track · mouse · mine · stick · bay · stem

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. craft — boats
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. track — a song
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a path
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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