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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — low music
  9. race — humankind
  10. bank — of a river
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — in music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — a contest
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — size or range

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