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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: bass · bowl · land · straw · bay · wave · race · racket

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — the arms race
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. land — ground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. race — humankind
  15. land — a country
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wave — of the sea

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