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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 · jam · rest · bulb · craft · deal · cue · stem

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — for pool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stem — to come from

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