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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — a contest
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — letters
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. board — to get on
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. race — humankind
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. spell — magic

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