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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — decided
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — hasty

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