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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: racket · temple · fine · mark · sharp · track · spring · stem

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stem — to come from
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. track — a song
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — a path
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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