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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: stem · deal · race · ground · rule · pit · perch · press

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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 — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. perch — the fish
  4. race — the arms race
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — in a race
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — to push
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — crushed
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ground — the earth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rule — a law
  21. ground — a position
  22. rule — government
  23. race — humankind
  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