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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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Word bank
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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: board · stem · race · can · last · pitch · net · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stem — to come from
  3. last — to go on
  4. tube — a container
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. can — a tin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — the underground
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. race — a contest
  24. last — final

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