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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · race · rest · pop · fine · fall · club · land

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — soda
  4. can — a tin
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. club — a group
  14. fall — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — for golf
  21. fine — all right
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — a penalty

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