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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: rush · snap · bass · pass · bank · game · calf · pitch

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. game — a match
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to click
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitch — completely

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