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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 · bowl · chest · band · race · club

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. club — a group
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. race — a contest
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. club — for dancing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. race — humankind
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  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