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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: race · snap · net · stem · swing · bowl · rest · ground

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. race — a contest
  6. ground — a position
  7. rest — what's left
  8. race — humankind
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stem — to come from
  13. race — the arms race
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ground — crushed
  24. net — for catching

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