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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.

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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 · branch · race · club · pass · bass · pitcher · present

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — a group
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. present — there
  16. branch — a division
  17. present — a gift
  18. board — a committee
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. board — to get on

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