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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. race — humankind
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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