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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — a division
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pass — a permit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. leaves — lets stay

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