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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: hide · ball · race · stem · prune · toast · club · current

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — of water
  5. race — the arms race
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — a contest
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for golf
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — bread
  21. club — a group
  22. race — humankind
  23. current — happening now
  24. prune — to trim

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