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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. race — the arms race
  3. staff — a stick
  4. present — the time now
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — a cake
  7. race — humankind
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — a gift
  11. race — a contest
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — there
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — employees

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