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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. race — humankind
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spring — the season
  5. march — the month
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — a company
  9. club — a group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. march — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. race — the arms race
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for dancing
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — a coil
  24. arm — part of the body

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