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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: track · leaves · stem · tube · plane · mate · bass · field

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — farmland
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bass — low music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — a partner
  20. field — a subject
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — to breed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bass — the fish

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