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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 116 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: object · bear · kick · pass · stand · bass · cell · game

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a match
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — in football
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bass — the fish
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. game — wild animals
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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