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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: race · cue · plane · stand · pop · bass · craft · fan

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — humankind
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. race — a contest
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — the arms race

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