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

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. race — a contest
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. race — humankind
  12. bass — the fish
  13. field — a subject
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. field — farmland
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. field — for sport
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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