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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · sharp · mine · stem · scale · pit · race · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. object — an aim
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. race — a contest
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — humankind
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — happy
  18. object — a thing
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — to protest
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mine — an explosive

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