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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. race — the arms race
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a dance
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. row — a line
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pound — a weight
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. race — humankind
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — to come from
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — to drill
  24. row — to paddle

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