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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. branch — a division
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rule — government
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — a law
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pop — to visit
  13. club — for dancing
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pop — music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pop — soda
  23. snap — to click
  24. ground — a position

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