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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — the arms race
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spell — letters
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spell — magic
  17. net — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. race — humankind
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — a contest

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