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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · race · club · firm · bass · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. firm — decided
  3. board — a committee
  4. press — newspapers
  5. club — for dancing
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — low music
  12. race — humankind
  13. press — to push
  14. bass — the fish
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — a group
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for 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