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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — to come from
  5. race — a contest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — completely
  11. swing — music
  12. race — the arms race
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — to play on
  17. firm — a company
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. firm — steady

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