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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: squash · bass · chest · bore · jam · race · stand · bank

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chest — a box
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. squash — the sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. chest — of your body
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bass — low music
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bank — for money

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