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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — a contest
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. file — a document
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pop — to visit
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bass — the fish
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — humankind
  23. pit — a hole
  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