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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.

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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: calf · nail · dip · race · game · root · club · stem

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — a match
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — of a word
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. club — a group
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — to come from
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. club — for dancing
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — for golf
  22. race — the arms race
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — for a hammer

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