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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. land — a country
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — a law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — a contest
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — government
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. land — to come down
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rule — to rule out

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