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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
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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: spring · charge · bear · suit · race · cue · pop · club

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — for dancing
  5. charge — a price
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. charge — electricity
  11. race — humankind
  12. spring — the season
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. spring — of water
  15. pop — soda
  16. race — the arms race
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pop — to visit

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