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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. land — ground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bank — of a river
  5. land — to come down
  6. kid — child
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. race — humankind
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — there
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — a measure
  17. mate — a friend
  18. land — a country
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. present — the time now
  24. kid — to tease

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