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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 120 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: band · bass · mate · sharp · pass · land · club · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — a group
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. club — for golf
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. bass — low music
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a friend
  17. sharp — clever
  18. club — for dancing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. firm — decided
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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