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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pass — a permit
  5. tube — a container
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — humankind
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. club — for golf
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. race — a contest
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — electric
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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