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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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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: bat · bank · bass · trunk · deal · pass · squash · bear

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — to crush
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bank — of a river
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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