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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stem — to come from
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — a group
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — for golf
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. race — humankind

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