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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — to play on
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — a signal
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. court — of law
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — of a king
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for dancing
  18. race — a contest
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — humankind
  21. cue — a hint
  22. object — an aim
  23. firm — a company
  24. cue — for pool

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