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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: pass · row · bass · saw · mark · leaves · ground · cue

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. row — a line
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. row — a quarrel

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