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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. net — in sport
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. club — for dancing
  12. race — a contest
  13. net — after costs
  14. club — a group
  15. race — humankind
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — all right
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — to sit on

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