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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 120 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pass — a permit
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — a trail
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — a country

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