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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pit — in a race
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. scale — in music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. race — humankind
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — a group
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — a tin
  24. bat — for baseball

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