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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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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 · fork · bulb · racket · mark · field · race · court

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — a contest
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — in a road
  5. race — humankind
  6. field — a subject
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. stem — to come from
  18. court — for sport
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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