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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 116 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 · track · field · board · bank · press · land · ground

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. stem — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — to push
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — a subject
  11. track — a path
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. land — ground
  16. ground — the earth
  17. board — to get on
  18. bank — of a river
  19. land — a country
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. ground — a position
  23. track — a song
  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