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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: bound · firm · bass · charge · wake · arm · club · race

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. club — for golf
  3. firm — decided
  4. charge — in control
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. firm — a company
  10. bound — certain
  11. wake — a trail
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bound — tied together
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — a price
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — a group

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