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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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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: ground · pass · wind · temple · straw · chair · pound · bass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bass — the fish
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ground — the earth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — low music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — moving air

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