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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: stand · band · ground · mouse · bay · race · bulb · bass

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bass — low music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. race — a contest
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. band — a ring
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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