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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. capital — money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. capital — a city
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. capital — a big letter

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