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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: fork · stem · scale · race · club · trunk

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — to come from
  4. race — a contest
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fork — in a road
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. club — a group
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — for golf
  18. trunk — of a tree

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