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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: safe · ground · track · wake · stem · bay · chest · scale

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — a position
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chest — a box
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — to come from
  16. scale — in music
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — to keep track
  24. safe — a strongbox

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