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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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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 · root · trunk · object · wake · land · stem · scale

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. root — of a word
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. land — ground
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. land — a country
  10. scale — in music
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. root — of a plant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. root — the cause
  19. track — a path
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — to come down
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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