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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — to get on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — electric
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. race — a contest
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. ball — a great time

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