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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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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 · stick · pound · rash · stem · kid

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. rash — a series
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. race — a contest
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. race — humankind
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  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