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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · race · pitcher · bass · nail · pass · stand · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — low music
  6. race — humankind
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. race — the arms race
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — a contest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — on a finger

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