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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.

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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: pitcher · wound · stem · root · temple · track · can · stick

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — a path
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stem — to come from
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. can — a tin

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