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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: race · chair · rock · squash · fan · club · rush · prune

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. club — for golf
  3. race — a contest
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. race — the arms race
  10. club — a group
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — the sport
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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