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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. key — in music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. firm — a company
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. current — happening now
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — decided
  10. race — a contest
  11. stem — to come from
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. current — electric
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. current — of water
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. firm — steady
  23. chair — a professorship
  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