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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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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: rock · safe · race · club · calf · bass · bat · toast

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bat — the animal
  7. race — humankind
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — a contest
  12. rock — a stone
  13. toast — bread
  14. rock — music
  15. race — the arms race
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — a group
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for dancing

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