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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. race — a contest
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. scale — in music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — all right

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