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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — goods
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — shares
  15. race — humankind
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kid — to tease
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fan — to cool the air

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