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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — to get on
  5. cap — a hat
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — of ice
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a match
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. race — humankind

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