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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: bass · rest · race · bore · perch · wax · suit · pitch

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. perch — the fish
  6. race — a contest
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rest — a break
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — to fit
  22. race — humankind
  23. pitch — completely
  24. perch — for a bird

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