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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: lash · firm · fork · bark · pass · bass · bat · land

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. land — a country
  4. pass — a permit
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. land — ground
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. firm — steady
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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