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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: bass · wave · branch · pass · court · squash · board · saw

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — for sport
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bass — low music
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. pass — a permit
  18. court — of law
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bass — the fish
  24. branch — of a bank

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