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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
468
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: bass · wound · scale · race · bulb · net · wind · key

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — the fish
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — a contest
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — low music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. net — after costs

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