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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.

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: bass · press · wake · race · ball · degree · bowl · foot

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. ball — a dance
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — newspapers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bass — low music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wake — a trail
  14. press — to push
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — a publisher
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bowl — a football final

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