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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. scale — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rest — a break
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — help
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — size or range
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — low music
  24. race — a contest

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