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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 120 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: land · net · stand · stem · track · vault · rush · bore

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — to tire
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. land — ground
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. track — a song
  22. stem — to come from
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stem — of a plant

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