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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — of a king
  8. mate — a friend
  9. court — of law
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. spring — of water

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