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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. club — for golf
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — humankind
  8. stock — shares
  9. court — of a king
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. court — for sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. mug — a cup
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mug — a face
  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