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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: press · race · club · firm · bass · board · cap · rock

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cap — a lid
  3. firm — steady
  4. club — a group
  5. bass — low music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. press — a publisher
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — newspapers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — for golf
  19. press — to push
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — a company
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. firm — decided

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