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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
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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: bulb · board · mouse · bass · race · rule · bat · rash

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — a series
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. race — a contest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — a flat piece

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