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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · bass · lash · racket · row · pop

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pop — soda
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pop — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bass — low music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — to paddle
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pop — to visit
  18. row — a quarrel

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