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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: race · squash · press · prune · stand · mouse · bass · sharp

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — clever
  6. press — to push
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bass — the fish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — a contest
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bass — low music
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — to crush
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. prune — to trim

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