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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. game — a match
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — to bear
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. game — wild animals
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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