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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. squash — to crush
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fine — all right
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. drill — army training
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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