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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: stem · stand · dip · object · race · arm · bound · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. race — a contest
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — humankind
  16. object — a thing
  17. bound — certain
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — to come from
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. dip — to sink
  24. arm — a part of something

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