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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: ball · bass · firm · spring · pass · track · net · stem

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spring — the season
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. spring — of water
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. firm — a company
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stem — to come from
  15. track — a song
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a great time

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