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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. charge — in control
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rule — government
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rule — a law
  8. row — to paddle
  9. race — the arms race
  10. degree — an amount
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. firm — steady
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — a company
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. race — humankind
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. degree — from a university
  24. row — a line

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