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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stem — to come from
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. dip — to sink
  11. race — a contest
  12. ground — the earth
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ball — a dance
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — a position
  21. bat — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. foot — a measure
  24. ground — crushed

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