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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: coach · kid · bass · rush · drill · race · craft · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bass — low music
  8. kid — child
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bass — the fish
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. stand — to bear
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — army training

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