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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 124 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a dance
  5. race — a contest
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — the arms race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. club — a group
  16. present — there
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. club — for golf
  22. race — humankind
  23. present — the time now
  24. straw — dry grass

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