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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: race · bore · club · mate · chair · pop · staff · stand

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. race — a contest
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for dancing
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mate — to breed
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bore — to drill

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