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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: fine · stem · race · drill · court · mark · calf · club

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. club — for golf
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — of law
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. mark — a trace
  19. race — a contest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — all right
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — of a plant

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