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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · key · rock · wind · bass · net · pass · tube

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — after costs
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rock — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — in sport
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — low music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — a container
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — for catching
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. rock — a stone

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