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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: board · bear · suit · pit · cell · race · bass · pitcher

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bass — low music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. race — a contest
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cell — in biology
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — the animal

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