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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: bass · mouse · can · pass · chest · march · kick · bank

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — in football
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. can — a tin
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your body

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