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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — boats
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. net — for catching
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stem — to come from

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