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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rule — government
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. jam — a tight spot

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