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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: calf · race · rush · ground · lean · mouse · club · bass

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ground — the earth
  3. club — a group
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bass — the fish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. race — humankind
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — low music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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