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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 120 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: pop · club · wake · race · present · stem · plane · key

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. race — humankind
  4. key — in music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. present — there
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — a group
  10. key — for a lock
  11. race — a contest
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pop — music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. plane — a tool

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