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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bass — low music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. race — humankind
  5. fall — the season
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — soda

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