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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. current — happening now
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pit — in a race
  7. object — an aim
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. race — the arms race
  13. current — of water
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — a thing
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. chest — a box
  22. object — to protest
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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