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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: vault · kick · march · pass · pitch · file · bass · shower

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — low music
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. kick — in football
  8. march — the month
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. file — a line of people
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. file — a document
  17. march — music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — the fish
  21. file — a tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — a safe

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