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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: bass · fan · pass · arm · kid · ground · pound · coach

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. ground — crushed
  15. kid — child
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bass — the fish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. arm — part of the 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