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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — a group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — for golf
  9. object — a thing
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — humankind
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — a contest
  18. chair — a leader

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