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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: track · race · foot · mark · chair · temple · drill · stem

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — a trace
  7. drill — a practice
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — a measure
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. foot — part of the body

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