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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: club · pop · object · can · rule · season · stand · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rule — a law
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. season — of the year
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — a group
  20. can — to be able to
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. pop — music
  24. club — for dancing

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