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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — the season
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — a law
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — soda
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pop — music
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. rule — government
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — to visit
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stand — to bear

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