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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: firm · bass · lie · board · race · net · rock · perch

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. net — in sport
  5. rock — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — a contest
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — for catching
  14. bass — low music
  15. board — a committee
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. net — after costs
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rock — a stone
  24. perch — for a bird

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