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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. club — a group
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a dance
  9. club — for golf
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mug — a cup
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. race — humankind
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. race — a contest
  24. roll — a cake

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