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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bass — low music
  8. branch — a division
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cue — a hint
  12. race — the arms race
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. race — a contest
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — a committee

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