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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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Word bank
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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 · rest · racket · stem · mate · key

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. key — the most important part
  5. race — humankind
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a partner
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — a contest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. key — in music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rest — a break
  18. race — the arms race

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