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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. branch — a division
  4. race — a contest
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — for dancing
  16. fork — in a road
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — music
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. tube — a container
  24. safe — out of danger

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