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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — electric
  5. rule — a law
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. court — for sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. race — a contest
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. current — of water
  18. race — humankind
  19. squash — to crush
  20. pit — a hole
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rule — government
  23. race — the arms race
  24. current — happening now

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