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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: rock · foot · fork · wind · race · bore · chip · stem

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. race — humankind
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. stem — to come from
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. race — a contest
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — to eat

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