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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: game · land · rash · pass · bass · pound · bore · fan

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. land — ground
  3. rash — a series
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — to come down
  11. bass — the fish
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pass — a permit
  22. land — a country
  23. bass — low music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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