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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: race · pop · stem · racket · vault · stick

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pop — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pop — to visit
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — soda

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