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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hand — help
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. chest — of your body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. club — for dancing
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. chest — a box
  21. pit — a hole
  22. club — for golf
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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