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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: key · current · foot · stem · court · track · tear · leaves

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — a measure
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — of a king
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — from crying
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — happening now
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. track — a path
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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