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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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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: row · pass · wave · branch · bass · fall · field · pit

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. fall — the season
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — farmland
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — a hole
  8. field — a subject
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fall — to drop
  20. row — to paddle
  21. branch — a division
  22. row — a line
  23. field — for sport
  24. bass — low music

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