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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — a gift
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. object — an aim
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pop — to visit
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — the time now
  20. object — to protest
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. race — the arms race

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