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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: rock · content · roll · bay · pitcher · pop · wind · pass

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — music
  3. content — the amount
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a list
  9. wind — moving air
  10. content — happy
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — a cake

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