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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. band — a ring
  12. race — humankind
  13. club — for dancing
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. race — a contest
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stock — shares

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