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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — a contest
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — of ice
  5. race — the arms race
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — shares
  22. cap — a hat
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — humankind

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