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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pop — to visit
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pop — music
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. club — for golf
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pop — soda
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spell — magic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. race — humankind
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stand — for spectators

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