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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. swing — music
  3. tear — to rip
  4. race — a contest
  5. cap — of ice
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tear — from crying
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — a hat
  15. press — newspapers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pop — soda
  18. race — humankind
  19. club — for dancing
  20. press — a publisher
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a lid
  23. press — to push
  24. club — for golf

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