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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 · pitcher · bat · trunk · safe · date · race · ruler

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — humankind
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — a contest
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. date — the fruit
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. race — the arms race
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. safe — out of danger

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