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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. degree — temperature
  5. race — humankind
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. mug — a face
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — to rob
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. firm — steady
  17. swing — to play on
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. swing — in golf

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