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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bass — low music
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wax — to grow

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