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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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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: ruler · race · band · branch · object · pass · chest · bass

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bass — the fish
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. race — humankind
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — a box
  18. object — a thing
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. object — an aim
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chest — of your body
  24. branch — a division

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