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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.

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: kid · pop · saw · pass · bark · game · bass · dip

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — low music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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