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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: squash · tear · bass · can · pass · cell · present · fine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. squash — the sport
  7. present — the time now
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cell — in biology
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — a gift
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — all right
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — there
  22. pass — a permit
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pass — to succeed

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