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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: scale · perch · press · race · mark · stem · track · mug

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a trace
  7. race — a contest
  8. scale — size or range
  9. perch — the fish
  10. race — the arms race
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. press — to push
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — to come from
  18. track — a path
  19. mug — a face
  20. race — humankind
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — a song
  24. stem — a stem cell

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