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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 116 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: bay · current · bass · root · straw · race · cabinet · bat

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — electric
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the fish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. root — of a word
  23. race — humankind
  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