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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 120 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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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: firm · face · race · craft · tube · mouse · cap · bass

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. face — to point toward
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — part of the head
  11. race — humankind
  12. firm — steady
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to confront
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — a company
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bass — low music
  23. tube — a container
  24. cap — a lid

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