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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: coach · ruler · file · race · bass · bank · pitcher · safe

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bank — for money
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — low music
  9. file — a tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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