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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: cell · club · band · plane · object · firm · present · race

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — a company
  3. race — a contest
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. club — for golf
  6. cell — a phone
  7. object — an aim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — a tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. band — a music group
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — a gift
  16. band — a ring
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. object — a thing
  19. cell — in biology
  20. club — a group
  21. present — there
  22. firm — decided
  23. object — to protest
  24. plane — an aircraft

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