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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: date · content · stand · bass · plane · ball · race · track

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. track — a path
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. race — a contest
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — a song
  22. content — happy
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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