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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — a contest
  10. season — of the year
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — in cards
  14. club — for dancing
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stem — to come from
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. swing — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. court — for sport
  24. club — a group

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