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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. object — a thing
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. squash — to crush
  6. race — humankind
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. swing — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. object — an aim
  22. track — a song
  23. object — to protest
  24. swing — in golf

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