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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — the arms race
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. root — of a word
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — decided
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. root — the cause
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — a contest

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