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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: bay · race · march · pass · bass · present · stem · bound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — the month
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — there

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