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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: club · row · bat · stem · temple · bear · bowl · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — humankind
  5. row — a line
  6. club — a group
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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