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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · club · rule · pit · race · stand

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — government
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — magic
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — a law
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — a short time

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