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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. club — a group
  7. game — a match
  8. press — newspapers
  9. race — a contest
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — a publisher
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — clothes
  15. season — in sport
  16. game — wild animals
  17. race — humankind
  18. stand — to bear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. race — the arms race
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — for golf
  23. press — to push
  24. season — of the year

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