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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 116 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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Word bank
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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 · dip · mark · scale · race · rock · tube · last

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — a trace
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. last — to go on
  9. rock — music
  10. race — humankind
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — the arms race
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. last — final
  22. stem — to come from
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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