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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · race · coach · bass · degree · current · bore · arm

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tube — a container
  3. bass — low music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. race — humankind
  11. current — electric
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — happening now
  21. bass — the fish
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. current — of water
  24. degree — from a university

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