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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: snap · roll · pop · season · ruler · bass · pound · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. season — of the year
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. pop — soda
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. season — in sport
  8. pop — music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pop — to visit
  13. roll — a list
  14. march — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. march — the month
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to click
  24. ruler — a monarch

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