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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. club — a group
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. vault — a safe
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. race — humankind
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. game — wild animals
  15. club — for golf
  16. race — a contest
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stand — on your feet
  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