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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: can · stem · perch · bass · rest · drill · race · pit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rest — what's left
  4. race — the arms race
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — a tin
  19. race — a contest
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. perch — for a bird

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