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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fine — high quality
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. track — a song
  18. present — a gift
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — the time now
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — there
  24. cap — of ice

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