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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.

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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. squash — the sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. field — a subject
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. field — farmland
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — low music

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