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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: rock · arm · plane · bound · sharp · bass · degree · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the fish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — humankind
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. sharp — clever
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rock — music
  12. bass — low music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bound — obliged
  15. race — a contest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. degree — an amount
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bound — tied together

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