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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — the arms race
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — a group
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. pit — in a 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