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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: key · stem · race · calf · pit · rock · chip · clip

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. clip — a video
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — for a lock
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. race — humankind
  11. chip — to eat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — a stone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. race — the arms race
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — music

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