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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: scale · stand · racket · pound · race · last · mug · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. club — a group
  10. race — humankind
  11. race — the arms race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — a weight
  14. last — final
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — a contest
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. mug — a face
  20. last — to go on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — in music
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for golf

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