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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 116 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: hand · stand · pop · key · bass · coach · race · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. race — a contest
  4. pop — music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — low music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — help
  23. race — humankind
  24. kid — to tease

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