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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: ruler · bowl · chest · stick · mine · pass · current · bass

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — the fish
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chest — a box
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ruler — a monarch

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