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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — obliged
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. race — humankind
  15. bound — certain
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. race — a contest
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bass — low music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a flat piece

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