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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 120 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. race — a contest
  4. field — for sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — humankind
  16. squash — the sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. firm — steady
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. firm — a company
  21. field — a subject
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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