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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: cell · race · bear · mine · foot · bass · saw · bowl

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. race — a contest
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cell — in a prison

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