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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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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: bear · fine · club · face · arm · chair · pop · race

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. club — a group
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — high quality
  7. race — a contest
  8. chair — a leader
  9. face — to point toward
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — all right
  13. bear — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — to visit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pop — music
  22. club — for golf
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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