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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: stem · race · rest · cell · present · pit

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. race — a contest
  3. present — there
  4. cell — a phone
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. present — the time now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole

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