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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 116 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 · rash · race · stick · cue · press · bass · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bass — low music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. race — humankind
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. firm — decided

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