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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spring — the season
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. race — humankind
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spring — of water
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. race — a contest
  18. craft — boats
  19. fine — high quality
  20. race — the arms race
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bowl — a football final

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