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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · cell · stem · perch · cap · charge

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — to come from
  4. race — a contest
  5. cell — in biology
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — of ice
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — a price
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cell — a phone

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