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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. shower — rain
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. field — a subject
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. dip — to sink
  13. band — a ring
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — a company
  19. field — for sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a music group
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. field — farmland

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