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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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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: current · date · stem · pound · mark · race · lash · coach

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — humankind
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — of water
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pound — a weight
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. current — happening now
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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