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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. club — for golf
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pound — a weight
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. last — final
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — humankind
  22. last — finally
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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