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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 120 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: nail · mug · temple · march · bass · clip · track · pass

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bass — the fish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. clip — for paper
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — a path
  17. clip — a video
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. march — the month
  22. bass — low music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — to rob

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