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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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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: suit · patient · bass · race · pound · club · cabinet · file

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. suit — clothes
  3. race — humankind
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bass — low music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. club — for dancing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a document
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — a contest
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — a group
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. file — a line of people

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