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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: snap · bass · fork · race · bay · ball · tear · suit

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a dance
  8. race — humankind
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. snap — to click
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. race — a contest

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