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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: stand · bass · row · ground · mate · race · mark · tube

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ground — a position
  4. row — a line
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. race — a contest
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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