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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — a path
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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