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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · present · trunk · pass · march · spell · clip · bowl

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. present — a gift
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. march — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. clip — to cut
  14. spell — a short time
  15. clip — for paper
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. march — the month
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. march — the month
  23. bowl — a football final
  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