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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · march · land · bass · lash · content · row · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — the amount
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — a line
  11. land — to come down
  12. march — the month
  13. row — to paddle
  14. march — the month
  15. land — ground
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the fish
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. pass — a permit
  23. march — music
  24. land — a country

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