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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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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: bass · race · ruler · pitcher · mine · stand · firm · capital

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bass — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. capital — money
  12. firm — steady
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. firm — decided
  15. race — a contest
  16. firm — a company
  17. capital — a city
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. race — humankind
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — a jug

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