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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: root · race · can · club · stem · pit · mine · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — a group
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — the cause
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a great time
  20. club — for dancing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. club — for golf
  24. can — a tin

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