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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: last · net · bank · snap · pass · bass · mark · chair

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. last — final
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. net — after costs
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. mark — a grade

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