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

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. race — humankind
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. firm — decided
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — steady

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