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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a match
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — all right
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — the arms race
  11. key — for a lock
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — steady
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — in music

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