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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. race — humankind
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. race — a contest
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — a match
  15. club — for golf
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — a face

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