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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. race — humankind
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — clever
  6. capital — money
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. root — of a plant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. root — of a word
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — steady
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. capital — a city
  24. race — a contest

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