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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: race · stick · spell · bass · toast · leaves · pitch · cue

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. race — humankind
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — bread
  8. spell — letters
  9. race — a contest
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — magic
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cue — a signal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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