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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: board · rest · coach · race · net · bass · ground · stand

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — the earth
  4. race — humankind
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — to bear
  7. net — after costs
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — to get on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — in sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — low music

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