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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 · game · rule · bass · pitcher · drill · cabinet · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bass — low music
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. game — a match
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. drill — army training
  23. game — wild animals
  24. date — the fruit

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