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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 120 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: cell · swing · track · firm · club · ball · hide · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. club — for golf
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. swing — music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. swing — in golf
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — a group
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — decided
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — a company
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cell — a phone
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cell — in biology

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