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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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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: bat · stem · roll · race · craft · cap · object · last

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — humankind
  3. bat — the animal
  4. race — a contest
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — final
  10. roll — a cake
  11. last — finally
  12. roll — a list
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. object — an aim
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — to go on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — boats
  24. stem — to come from

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