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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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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: bass · tear · pound · pass · rock · wave · pit · mouse

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bass — low music
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rock — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. tear — to rip
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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