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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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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: stick · saw · foot · bass · race · rock · band · pass

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — a contest
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bass — low music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. race — humankind
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. band — a music group
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rock — to move gently

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