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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: nail · object · stem · sharp · track · cap · ground · prune

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. track — to keep track
  4. object — to protest
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — a thing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — a path
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cap — a hat
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a song
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ground — the earth

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