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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: stem · hide · object · fine · bay · shower · track · court

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — of a king
  5. shower — rain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — high quality
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. object — to protest
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. track — a path
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. track — to keep track

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