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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: tube · stem · track · date · bass · dip · kid · court

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. date — the fruit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. tube — a container
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — to come from
  15. track — a song
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — to sink
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. court — of a king
  22. kid — to tease
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. kid — child

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