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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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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: march · lean · firm · wound · bulb · bass · pass · chip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bass — low music
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pass — to spend time

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