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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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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 · race · pit · bat · sharp · board · safe · foot

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. board — a committee
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — humankind
  6. sharp — clever
  7. race — a contest
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. race — the arms race
  15. board — to get on
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bass — the fish
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. safe — out of danger

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