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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: can · squash · club · shower · chair · stand · jam · fine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chair — a leader
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fine — high quality
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. squash — the sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. club — a group

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