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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. capital — a city
  3. race — a contest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. stock — goods
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — the arms race
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stock — shares
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. capital — money

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