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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. firm — a company
  3. bass — low music
  4. firm — steady
  5. bank — for money
  6. race — humankind
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chest — of your body
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — on the skin
  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