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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: pass · row · bass · firm · patient · object · content · bank

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. content — the amount
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. row — a line
  11. firm — decided
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bass — the fish
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. content — happy
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — a permit

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