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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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rush — hurry
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pass — a permit
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. row — a line
  22. scale — in music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bass — the fish

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