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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: degree · stem · track · scale · plane · perch · trunk · stick

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — size or range
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — a song

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