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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — in music
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. degree — an amount
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — to come from
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. key — for a lock
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. degree — from a university

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