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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. race — a contest
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — the amount
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stem — to come from
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. race — the arms race
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. race — humankind

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