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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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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: cabinet · race · ruler · drill · wave · bass · pitcher · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — humankind
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — low music
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. drill — the tool
  18. race — a contest
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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