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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. race — humankind
  4. pass — a permit
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — in a road
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pop — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pop — to visit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. race — the arms race
  21. club — a group
  22. press — to push
  23. race — a contest
  24. pass — to succeed

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