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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.

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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: object · track · race · cell · mate · bass · game · nail

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. game — a match
  9. track — a path
  10. cell — a phone
  11. object — an aim
  12. race — the arms race
  13. object — to protest
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mate — a partner
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a song
  20. bass — the fish
  21. game — wild animals
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mate — to breed
  24. race — a contest

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