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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: jam · game · stem · pit · chair · vault · race · mark

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. race — humankind
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — to come from
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. chair — a leader
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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