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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 120 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: stand · last · bulb · drill · mouse · track · stem · capital

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. last — to go on
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — finally
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. drill — army training
  16. capital — a city
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — final
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  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