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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: bear · sharp · land · spell · bass · chair · pass · pound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — low music
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the fish
  9. land — to come down
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — magic
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. land — ground

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