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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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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. stock — goods
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. race — the arms race
  7. game — a match
  8. wax — to grow
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. foot — a measure
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. race — a contest
  20. game — wild animals
  21. net — for catching
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stock — a soup base

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