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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 120 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
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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: ground · coach · bass · tube · race · squash · pit · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — the underground
  9. race — humankind
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — a position
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — a container
  19. bass — the fish
  20. race — a contest
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bass — low music

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