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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — a country
  5. race — humankind
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — the arms race
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. land — to come down
  14. shower — rain
  15. swing — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — hurry
  18. land — ground
  19. bass — low music
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tube — a container
  24. swing — to play on

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