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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. band — a ring
  5. race — a contest
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. field — farmland
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rock — music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — a subject
  22. band — a music group
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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