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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 116 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: bark · bass · pass · net · can · rush · straw · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. bass — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. net — for catching
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — a tin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bass — low music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. net — in sport
  24. bark — to shout

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