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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — humankind
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. race — a contest
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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