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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. field — for sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spell — magic
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. field — farmland
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — to come from
  24. field — a subject

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