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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: race · bass · current · staff · court · lie · squash · bay

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. court — for sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lie — to recline
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — humankind
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the fish
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — electric
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — low music
  21. current — of water
  22. race — a contest
  23. court — of law
  24. bass — the instrument

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