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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: race · bass · pitcher · wake · racket · rash · rock · foot

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bass — the fish
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. race — a contest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bass — low music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. race — humankind

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