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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: bowl · ball · race · toast · mate · stem

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — bread
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bowl — to roll

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