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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: wave · board · mate · bass · pop · pass · bark · kid

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pop — soda
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — to get on
  21. kid — child
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wave — of the sea

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