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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — final
  7. race — a contest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — of a king
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. club — a group
  16. court — for sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bass — low music

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