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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: race · roll · stem · season · scale · date · game · file

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. file — a line of people
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — the arms race
  7. roll — a list
  8. date — the fruit
  9. season — of the year
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. scale — in music
  16. race — a contest
  17. game — a match
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. game — wild animals
  22. file — a document
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. file — a tool

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