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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: spring · stem · calf · pitch · mouse · game · rest · race

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — a contest
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rest — a break
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — completely

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