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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. object — a thing
  4. club — for dancing
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. stand — to bear
  8. race — humankind
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. club — for golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. race — the arms race
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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