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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. ground — crushed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. plane — a tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. board — a committee
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stock — shares
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stock — goods
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stem — of a plant

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