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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. court — of a king
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cap — a hat
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. season — in sport
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — a lid
  14. court — of law
  15. race — the arms race
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — for sport
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — a contest
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cap — of ice
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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