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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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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: row · season · club · press · race · swing · perch · arm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. season — in sport
  3. swing — music
  4. press — newspapers
  5. club — for dancing
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — the fish
  8. club — a group
  9. season — of the year
  10. race — the arms race
  11. row — a line
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — a publisher
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — humankind

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