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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.

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: race · plane · object · rash · racket · bass · current · content

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rash — a series
  3. object — an aim
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. bass — low music
  14. race — humankind
  15. content — the amount
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — happy
  19. bass — the fish
  20. object — a thing
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — hasty

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