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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — a position
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a lid
  14. race — humankind
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. race — the arms race
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ground — the earth
  24. race — a contest

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