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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: stick · rule · rock · club · race · toast

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — for golf
  3. toast — bread
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rule — government
  6. club — a group
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — for dancing
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. race — humankind
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest

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