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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bass · last · pound · pass · fan · pop · kid

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — child
  5. last — final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. last — to go on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — finally

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