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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. race — the arms race
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. race — a contest
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. clip — to cut
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — humankind
  22. clip — a video
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — to confront

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