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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: kick · race · jam · band · wave · roll · bass · object

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. object — a thing
  3. bass — the fish
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. band — a ring
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — in football
  10. roll — a cake
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. band — a music group
  14. object — to protest
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. race — a contest
  17. bass — low music
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. object — an aim
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. roll — a list

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