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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: fan · ruler · club · deal · race · staff

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. race — a contest
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. race — humankind
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — for dancing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — for measuring

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