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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pop — soda
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rash — a series
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. board — a committee
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bass — the instrument

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