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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. net — in sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. race — a contest
  9. net — after costs
  10. roll — a cake
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — the arms race
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. roll — a list
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mug — a face
  18. club — for golf
  19. mug — to rob
  20. snap — to click
  21. race — humankind
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — for catching

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