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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. firm — a company
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — to come from
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cue — for pool
  12. object — an aim
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. race — humankind
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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