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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: pit · squash · race · hand · can · stand · bass · branch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — help
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. can — a tin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — in a race
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pit — a hole
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — the sport
  19. branch — a division
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — of a bank

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