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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: field · bass · spell · snap · swing · pop · firm · pass

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. field — farmland
  8. bass — low music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bass — the fish
  11. swing — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — a subject
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. field — for sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — to visit
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. snap — to click

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