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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 120 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: arm · race · suit · pass · stem · pitcher · bat · game

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. game — a match
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pass — a permit
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. suit — to fit

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