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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 · object · last · pit · band · race · board · saw

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. object — a thing
  6. last — to go on
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a hole
  9. saw — the tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a music group
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. board — to get on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. band — a ring
  21. race — humankind
  22. last — final
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — finally

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