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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: present · club · race · stick · ground · arm

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — the arms race
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. club — for golf
  8. race — humankind
  9. club — a group
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ground — the earth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. ground — a position
  18. present — a gift

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