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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: lie · clip · pass · key · club · bass · pound · march

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. pass — a permit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. club — for dancing
  5. march — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bass — the fish
  16. march — the month
  17. club — a group
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — low music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — to hit hard

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