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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — to get on
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. race — a contest
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. board — a committee
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — a group
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — humankind

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