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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: fork · ball · kid · stem · spell · race · mate · coach

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — to come from
  8. race — humankind
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. spell — magic
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a great time

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