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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. race — the arms race
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. field — for sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. field — a subject
  7. stem — to come from
  8. field — farmland
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. race — a contest
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. race — humankind
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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