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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a cup
  3. scale — in music
  4. race — the arms race
  5. club — for golf
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — to fit
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — a group
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. race — a contest
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mug — to rob
  24. track — a song

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