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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. sharp — clever
  6. race — humankind
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pit — in a race
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — a contest
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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