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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: pit · club · pop · bass · plane · spell · firm · straw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — music
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. club — a group
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. club — for dancing
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a hole

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