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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: swing · pass · tube · pop · chair · wake · mine · bass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. swing — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pop — soda
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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