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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: race · fork · bay · club · bass · game · charge · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. club — for golf
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — a measure
  12. race — the arms race
  13. club — a group
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — in a road
  21. race — a contest
  22. game — a match
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — a price

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