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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 120 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: calf · pitch · object · root · fall · mate · race · stem

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a word
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — humankind
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. object — a thing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stem — a stem cell

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