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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. race — humankind
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. firm — a company
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — a tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. stock — shares
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. firm — steady
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — goods
  21. race — the arms race
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. swing — music

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