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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 · kid · fan · saw · fine · chip · branch · bass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — to tease
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — low music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kid — child
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bass — the instrument

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