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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · bass · bat · last · row · wound · wake · pass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. last — to go on
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. last — finally
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. last — final
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wake — a trail
  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