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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 116 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 · club · bore · pit · race · perch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — a group
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — a contest
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. race — the arms race
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — the fish
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — a stem cell

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