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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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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: branch · pass · game · jam · rest · bass

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — low music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. branch — a division
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rest — what's left
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — a break
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. branch — of a bank

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