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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: pit · race · stand · mate · field · stem · mouse · tube

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. race — humankind
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. race — a contest
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — the arms race

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