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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — a group
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. race — a contest
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. game — a match
  24. race — the arms race

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