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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 · stem · roll · chip · bound · tube · foot · race

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. roll — a list
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — the earth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. ground — crushed
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ground — a position
  10. chip — to eat
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. race — a contest
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bound — certain
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. race — humankind
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — the underground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. roll — on a roll

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