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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: ground · scale · race · stem · sharp · season · kick · tube

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — in football
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — the underground
  7. scale — size or range
  8. race — a contest
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. season — of the year
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. tube — a container
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — in music
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tube — in a tire

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