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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — a contest
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. staff — employees
  10. pop — to visit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — the fish
  18. staff — a stick

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