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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — of a king
  5. bass — low music
  6. bound — certain
  7. bass — the fish
  8. court — for sport
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. race — a contest
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cell — in biology
  20. board — to get on
  21. race — humankind
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — a phone

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