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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. race — humankind
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. club — a group
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rash — hasty
  10. race — the arms race
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rule — government
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — a contest
  18. rash — a series
  19. band — a ring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. swing — music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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