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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pop — soda
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — decided
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — a practice
  21. clip — for paper
  22. firm — steady
  23. pop — music
  24. drill — the tool

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